Chapter 1809 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect
“…Sword
Under Heaven Jongli Gok?” [cheonhageom, 천하검(天下劍)]
Thousand
Faced Manipulator's face subtly twisted.
The leader
of Zhongnan, Jongli Gok, known as the Sword Under Heaven, had stepped in to
block his path.
A gaze that
could only be described as ‘unyielding’ pierced Thousand Faced Manipulator.
“You look
familiar. How unpleasant.”
“…..”
“No matter
how depraved a sect you belong to, does the leader of a sect know no shame?”
The remark
was a direct jab at Thousand Faced Manipulator, who was hiding behind a facade.
Thousand
Faced Manipulator didn’t respond, or more accurately, he couldn’t afford to.
'Why is this
man…?'
He wasn’t so
foolish as to be unaware of Jongli Gok's presence on the battlefield. What
baffled him was the fact that Jongli Gok had come to aid Tang Gunak.
Jongli Gok
wasn’t someone to act in such a manner.
“This is...
unexpected.”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator spoke with feigned composure.
“To think
that the great Jongli Gok would stoop to helping others. Could it be that
there's some relationship between the Tang family and Zhongnan I’m unaware of?”
Of course,
this was the first time Thousand Faced Manipulator had ‘met’ Jongli Gok
‘face-to-face’. While their paths may have crossed briefly in the past, they
weren’t close enough to understand one another deeply.
However, Thousand
Faced Manipulator prided himself on knowing Jongli Gok well. As the leader of
the Hao Sect, which controlled the world’s information, how could he not?
According to
what he knew, Jongli Gok wasn’t the type to lift a finger unless it benefited
his sect.
If anything,
under the premise that the righteous sects would triumph on the battlefield, Jongli
Gok was more likely to wish for Tang Gunak’s demise. If the Sichuan Tang family
weakened, Zhongnan could expand its influence into Sichuan.
Such was the
cold-blooded nature of Jongli Gok, a leader who prioritized his sect’s gain
above all else, which had once elevated Zhongnan to the position of one of the
Three Great Sects.
“You speak
as though you know me well.”
“Of course…”
“Coming from
a mere seed of the evil sect, no less.”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator slowly fell silent
This was
different.
The righteous
warriors he had encountered before—those who were so upright that they came off
as hypocritical—were nothing like this.
This was
pure arrogance.
Jongli Gok
was looking down on Thousand Faced Manipulator. Not out of some
self-righteousness, but because he genuinely deemed him beneath notice.
Thousand
Faced Manipulator was reminded of why he despised the righteous sects so much.
Shing!
Jongli Gok
slowly raised his sword.
“There’s no
reason for me to kindly tell you what you’re curious about. You’re going to die
anyway.”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator gritted his teeth.
Sword Under
Heaven Jongli Gok. How strong was he?
Though the
world had largely forgotten due to the fleeting nature of life, there was once
a saying:
Even if it
was forgotten by most, Thousand Faced Manipulator, who oversaw the world’s
intelligence, remembered it vividly.
The Three
Great Swordsmen of the Martial World.
The number
had varied—sometimes four, five, or seven—but the essence remained the same.
The title was reserved for the strongest swordsmen of the time.
Namgung Hwang
of the Namgung family, Heo Do of Mount Wudang, and Jongli Gok of Zhongnan.
Before the
rise of the Heavenly Comrade Alliance and the Evil Tyrant Alliance, the martial
world had enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace. Thus, whether they truly
deserved the title of the Three Great Swordsmen was never fully tested.
Yet, the
fact that the title had been attached to their names, even briefly, was
significant.
Thousand
Faced Manipulator muttered to himself without realizing it.
“The Three
Great Swordsmen… Truly dangerous.”
“…..”
“However,
even someone like you can’t take us all on alone. You’re barely on the fringes
of that title, aren’t you?”
Jongli Gok
smirked.
“If I knew
I’d be this underestimated by some evil sect scum, I’d have ventured out of my
sect more often.”
“Even so,
your reputation wouldn’t have changed much.”
To this, Jongli
Gok nodded calmly.
“You’re
right. Even the strongest swordsman alone might find this difficult.”
“At least
you know your limits.”
“But does it
matter?”
“…Hmm?”
“Does it
matter as long as I’m not alone?”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Quickly,
come!”
“Ugh.”
A group of
figures quickly approached from behind Jongli Gok.
“Father!”
“…Pae?”
To an
outsider, the scene would have looked utterly bizarre.
Tang Pae
rushed to Tang Gunak’s side, initially inspecting his injuries, only to startle
upon noticing someone identical to himself.
It didn’t
take long for him to grasp the situation.
“….Thousand
Faced Manipulator.”
Tang Pae
gritted his teeth. Just seeing that face seemed to explain everything.
But instead
of venting his anger immediately, Tang Pae focused on tending to Tang Gunak. He
knew what was most urgent.
“Father,
let’s retreat to the rear for now.”
“W-wait…”
Tang Gunak
tried to shake off his hand, but someone interrupted in an exhausted tone.
“Just go
quietly. You’re no help right now. An injured person should focus on
recovery—that’s their duty.”
Despite the
weary tone, the hands supporting Tang Gunak were swift and efficient.
“Hold on…”
Tang Pae
turned to the person with a look of disbelief.
“Wait, you
shouldn’t be the one escorting him!”
“Why not?
What’s the problem? Are you discriminating against me now?”
“You have to
fight those people!”
“Why should
I? Why? I'm just the type to sit in the back and point fingers while giving
orders!”
“Stop
spouting nonsense and move aside already! You'll regret this later. When
someone comes charging with an axe, will you still be fine with that?”
“Damn it!”
The person
supporting Tang Gunak suddenly let go of his arm and sighed deeply.
“…Why does
nothing ever go right, damn it all.”
Tang Gunak,
bewildered, stared at the man in disbelief and let out a bitter laugh.
“…. Nokrim King.”
“Why are you
calling me? What? Why? We’re not exactly on friendly terms to be casually calling
each other, are we? Isn’t that right?”
“…..”
“Ah, for
crying out loud. Just go already. You’re in the way.”
Im Sobyeong
walked forward, stumbling. Then, standing next to Jongli Gok, who had been
waiting, he let out a series of sighs with an expression full of all kinds of
annoyance.
“Well, well.”
Im Sobyeong
waved his fan lazily at Thousand Faced Manipulator.
“We meet
again.”
“…. Nokrim
King. You’re going to fight me?”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator laughed in disbelief.
“Who would
want to? Tch.”
Im Sobyeong
responded bluntly, irritation clear in his voice.
“What choice
do I have? If I run away now and they charge at me later with their axes, I’d
end up shattered to the bone.”
“…. Are you
really siding with the righteous sect, even in this situation?”
“It’s
precisely because of this situation that I’m siding with them, you idiot.”
“What?”
The Nokrim
King scowled.
“Traitors
are always the most proactive allies. It’s survival instinct.”
“…..”
“Honestly,
if you lot hadn’t made such a mess of things, I could’ve just groveled and
lived quietly. But with things spiraling out of control like this, who do you
think will face the harshest crackdown when the war ends? Isn’t it obvious?”
Im Sobyeong’s
voice rose as his anger built, spittle flying as he spoke.
“What choice
do we have? If we don’t risk our lives and prove ourselves here, the ‘evil
sect’ label will get us all killed later. We have to show we’re the 'good'
faction of the evil sect.”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator burst into loud laughter at the absurdity of it.
The 'good'
faction of the evil sect! He never thought he’d hear such ridiculous words in
his lifetime.
“Do you
seriously think that makes any sense?”
“Whether it
makes sense or not isn’t for you to decide, so don’t bother worrying about it.”
Thousand
Faced Manipulator, usually as sly as a snake, rarely found himself at a loss
for words. But now, he couldn’t hide his confusion.
Was it
because of Jongli Gok’s sudden appearance? Or because the Nokrim King, a man
inseparable from the stigma of the evil sect, was standing in his way?
No. Both
were shocking, but not impossible to imagine.
What truly
left Thousand Faced Manipulator flustered was the fact that both events were
happening at the same time.
Who could
have imagined such a scene? The Nokrim King, Im Sobyeong, and the Sword Under
Heaven, Jongli Gok, standing shoulder to shoulder to fight.
Heavenly
Comrade Alliance.... among all the righteous sects… No, in the entire martial
world, if asked who would least likely cooperate with Im Sobyeong, Thousand
Faced Manipulator would pick Jongli Gok without hesitation.
Beop Jeong?
That old monk might ally with the devil if needed.
Heo Do?
Maybe in the past, but the current Heo Do isn’t so inflexible.
But Jongli
Gok? He despised the evil sect, especially its leader, the Nokrim King. There
was no way they would ever work together.
Yet here
they were, fighting side by side.
“Tch. In all
my life…”
Im Sobyeong
grumbled incessantly, and Jongli Gok furrowed his brow.
“As the
leader of a sect, can’t you at least maintain some dignity?”
“Oh, forgive
me for not living up to the lofty standards of the great Zhongnan Sect Leader. But...
since when did you start holding mountain bandits in such high regard?”
Jongli Gok’s
face twisted with barely concealed displeasure.
“That’s why…”
“That’s why
you say you shouldn’t associate with the evil sect bastards? Is that what
you’re about to say?”
Jongli Gok
sighed briefly. To be honest, he didn’t like this situation either.
Collaborating with the evil sect, and not just any sect but the leader of the Nokrim?
It was distasteful.
But there
was no other choice.
Facing Thousand
Faced Manipulator alone would be difficult. Bringing his disciples might help,
but it would destabilize the entire front line.
‘Where the
hell is Geumryong?’
He hadn’t
seen him for some time. Resigned, Jongli Gok muttered quietly.
“We’re
desperate enough to need help from anyone, even a cat’s paw. Do your best.”
“And since
when did you become my superior to give orders?”
“…. For
someone who listens well enough, that’s quite the question.”
“F*ck.” [tl
note: he said ‘ssibal’ lmao]
Im Sobyeong
gritted his teeth, unable to refute.
Who could he
blame? It was his own fault for getting entangled with the most insane man in
the martial world. When he decided to use Jongli Gok for his gain, who could
have predicted this outcome?
“I heard Zhongnan
Sect once outshone Mount Hua.”
“Once?”
“Oh, there was
never such a time?”
The
provocation made Jongli Gok’s veins bulge on his forehead.
“You
insolent…”
Though their
enemy was right before them, the tension between allies was palpable.
Watching
this unfold, Tang Pae snapped out of his daze. He quickly prepared to move to
the rear, but Tang Gunak tapped his shoulder.
“Pae-ya.”
“I’m sorry,
Father. I’ll take you to safety immediately.”
Tang Gunak
needed treatment as soon as possible, ideally in a safe location.
But
unexpectedly, Tang Gunak shook his head with effort.
“…Let’s…
wait… a moment.”
“Sorry?”
Tang Gunak’s
gaze was fixed ahead. He was staring at the backs of two very
unreliable-looking figures.
With a
complex expression, Tang Gunak muttered something hard to describe.
“…I can’t
leave. It’s too unsettling.”
“…..”
For once, Tang
Pae couldn’t help but nod. Truly, he couldn’t agree more.
❀ ❀ ❀
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